apple

Power outages on MacBook Pros

MacBook Pro owners are apparently having trouble supplying power to their computers both from the battery and from the wall.

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is getting ready to introduce new 85-watt MagSafe adapters for MacBook Pros following a litany of complaints about fraying cables on the adapters. When they were first introduced, most customers liked the idea of flexible cables that would detach from the computer if subjected to excessive stress, preventing your nice laptop from flying across the floor of the coffee shop when somebody trips over the cord.

However, the flexibility of the power cable has caused … Read more

iPhone song guy's album hits today

Remember that plinky yet catchy song from the iPhone commercials? The one that played as a giant finger was tapping, swiping and typing on the iPhone's screen? You've probably already guessed it wasn't just a piece of canned stock music. As in pretty much every other iPod-related TV commercial, it was a track from a real band, although not one as (arguably) high-profile as Feist or The Bird and the Bee.

The iPhone song is called "Perfect Timing (This Morning)," and it's from Orba Squara, the nom de band of multi-instrumentalist Mitch Davis. Orba … Read more

This day's Apple: Lawsuits, 'jailbreaks' and Nanos

From time to time, I'll post a brief summary of some interesting items I come across during the day that I don't have time to call out in more detail. If you see anything interesting out there, drop me a line at tom dot krazit at cnet dot com. Take that, you e-mail harvesters.

LEGAL DEPARTMENT: There's some news about a couple of items that will soon await new Apple General Counsel Daniel Cooperman. Information Week notes that the company has been sued over the iPhone--again--this time by a man claiming that Apple is breaking … Read more

Who will be the 800-pound gorilla of digital convergence?

Way back in the dark ages--before cell phones, reality TV, or social networks--there was big iron. In those archaic times, computers were actually used for computing, as opposed to watching porn or idiotic video clips. The computing giants of the day included IBM, Digital Equipment, Unisys (the marriage of Sperry and Burroughs), Data General, and Wang Laboratories.

The transition to personal computing and networking changed all that. IBM and Unisys survived by refocusing on services. The others didn't fair so well. Markets change. Companies that change with them survive. Those that anticipate change do better still. Those that resist … Read more

Apple's next 'Leopard' release may be at risk due to NetApp's ZFS lawsuit

According to Computerworld, Apple's reported support for ZFS in its upcoming Leopard release may enmesh it in NetApp's legal catfight with Sun:

Apple Inc.'s upcoming Leopard will support the open-source ZFS file system, the company confirmed today -- a move that could embroil it in a patent-infringement lawsuit between Sun Microsystems and storage software maker Net[work] Appliance. Leopard, also known as Mac OS X 10.5, will include ZFS (Zettabyte File System), albeit in a small way. "Apple will provide limited ZFS support in Leopard," said company spokesman Anuj Nayar today. "It will only be available as a read-only option from the command line."

This, however, is allegedly only the tip of the iceberg of Apple's adoption of ZFS, making the outcome of NetApp's lawsuit important to more than just Sun.… Read more

Replug saves your audio devices from dreaded cord stumbles

It's not too hard to remember a time when it required two hands to get a simple plug out. Things have since changed, and many manufacturers, especially in the gaming industry, are moving toward wireless peripherals, or including breakaways to remedy consumers stumbling over cords and taking the entire machine with them. The coolest one in recent memory is Apple's MagSafe power adapter, which not only makes your Mac laptop easier to plug-in, but keeps flying laptops at a minimum.

Replug is a handy product that's done the same thing for audio jacks. It's a two-part … Read more

Episode 576: One man's burning NanoPants

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Mac OS X Leopard will be on the prowl soon

Have you been thinking about buying a new Mac? Have the sleek new iMacs won you over? Maybe you're thinking about one of the MacBooks? Well, this was brought up yesterday by our very own Tom Krazit at CNET News.com, but I think it's worth mentioning here: don't pull the trigger on that purchase just yet!

According to Mac rumor sites, Apple will announce the release of Mac OS X Leopard on October 26. There's no confirmation from Apple--there never is--but with last week's news of a mostly complete release candidate for Leopard, it'… Read more

New iMacs having graphics pains?

AppleInsider has reported that more than a few owners of the new shiny iMacs are experiencing freezing problems.

When the problem occurs, the system will look and behave as if it's running but is totally unresponsive to any touching of the controls, according to the report. Some suspect foul play by the new ATI Radeon HD graphics card, as most instances occur when playing games or running any video-intensive tasks.

So far Apple is aware of the problem but has yet to release a permanent fix for it. Desperate users have tried to re-install older Mac drivers with mixed … Read more